Even disability applicants with IQs of 71 or higher can qualify for disability benefits, especially if they have other impairments.

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Borderline
intellectual functioning is a cognitive impairment that applies to
people who have lower than average intelligence but do not have
intellectual developmental disorder or mental retardation. Borderline
intellectual functioning is diagnosed by IQ test scores that are between
71 and 84. People with borderline intellectual functioning typically
have difficulties with learning, reasoning, planning, abstract thinking,
and judgment. Lower than average intellectual functioning can be caused by birth injury, fetal alcohol syndrome, environmental exposure to toxins such as lead, infections, or genetics.

In general, borderline intellectual functioning by itself is not
enough to be found disabled under the Social Security Act. But in
combination with other mental or physical impairments, borderline
intellectual functioning can qualify someone for disability benefits.

Qualifying Under a Disability Listing

The impairment listing for mental retardation in Social Security’s
"blue book" requires an IQ of 70 or less to award disability for mental
retardation. (See our article on disability for mental retardation or traumatic brain injury).
But an applicant with a slightly higher IQ, such as 71 to 75, who also
has other physical or mental disorders, may qualify as disabled if the
agency finds that the combined effects of the applicant's other
impairments are medically equivalent to (just as severe as) mental
retardation. (For more information, see our article on how Social Security uses the blue book listings.)

Applicants with borderline IQ scores should submit their IQ test
scores to Social Security, making sure to include information about the
standard deviation of the IQ test that was used. The standard deviation
could indicate that test scores tend to be high and may not fully
reflect the applicant’s disability. It is also a good idea to include
school records, testimony from teachers or supervisors, and other
evidence that shows a higher level of impairment than the IQ score alone
might suggest.

Qualifying through an RFC Assessment

An applicant with borderline intellectual functioning who does not
qualify for disability through the mental retardation listing may
nonetheless be able to qualify for disability benefits by proving that
his or her impairments make it impossible to find full-time work.

Social Security assesses an applicant’s mental limitations to come up
with the applicant’s "residual functional capacity,” or “RFC.” The RFC
is then used to determine whether there are any jobs the applicant can
do despite his or her limitations. A mental RFC includes non-exertional
limitations, such as the following:

Following instructions. Applicants with borderline
intellectual functioning may have a limited ability to understand,
remember, and carry out complex instructions. They may require that
tasks be broken into individual steps that can be completed one at a
time, rather than being given a series of instructions that must be
remembered and followed one after another.

Supervision and training. The need for close
supervision and/or an extended training period is another, related
limitation. A person with borderline intellectual functioning may not be
able to do any of the jobs that don't provide much support from
supervisors.

Concentration. People with borderline intellectual
functioning may also have limited ability to concentrate and focus. They
may need to avoid multitasking, or doing several things at once. As a
result, they may be limited to jobs that involve only simple, routine
tasks. Evidence of difficulties with concentration may be found in work
evaluations that show frequent errors.

"Pace" is another workplace limitation that may
apply to someone with borderline intellectual functioning. Someone who
needs extra time to perform tasks may not be able to do certain jobs,
such as assembly-line work.

Judgment. Because people with borderline
intellectual functioning often have impaired judgment and reasoning
ability, they may have a limited ability to make judgments on complex
work-related decisions. This is another potential workplace limitation
that should be included in the applicant's RFC, if applicable.

Social functioning. Borderline intellectual
functioning often causes difficulties with social functioning and
communication. Someone with this condition may be unsuited to jobs that
involve dealing with customers. This should be reflected in the RFC as a
limitation in contact with the general public.

A person with borderline intellectual functioning should gather as
much evidence of these limitations as possible when applying for
disability benefits. In combination with limitations caused by other
physical or mental medical conditions, they may qualify someone for
disability benefits. For more information how Social Security assesses
whether an applicant's limitations rule out work, see our article on how Social Security uses mental RFCs to assess disability.